Hi thereIs there anyone who can advise me please? I have spent 5 1/2 years working in media/publishing in sales and marketing for a big blue chip company and would now like to use my skills and experience to move into consulting. How can I get into consulting as an experienced hire without having worked for a consultancy already? Any suggestions would be gratefully received!

I am in a similar situation and have been advised by recruiters, practicing consultants, etc that without prior consulting experience, the only way in is through a graduate programme which is available only to fresh university grads or fresh MBAs. So I guess it is time for me to re-design my strategy.

Easiest way would be to get an MBA from a leading school and then apply for MBA entry. There are many more openings for fresh MBAs than for experienced hires.That said it is not impossible to get in as an experienced hire if you have something to offer that makes you stand out.

Roughly what percentage of the fresh MBAs from the top 5 B-Schools find good opportunities straight after the course? Does anybody have a rough idea?

just a point of interest...what do you guys call the top 5 (or "leading") schools?

Depends on the state of the economy, the type of opportunity you consider "good", and on your pre-MBA background.Too variable for a figure to make sense.

There are several posts on here where people have listed out the top schools with respect to discipline (business, technology, etc.), geographical location, hype, etc. Feel free to check them out.

So sorry for causing you such tedium Not Again, and many thanks for your permission to check out the other posts. However, I was interested in what these particular guys thought, hence "you guys".

Quite, because "these guys" must be different to "those guys" below and undoubtedly better placed to answer your question... Nice try.

Hmm, well.. I'd say there was a fair chance that these guys are in fact different from those guys. As such, I'd say it'd be interesting to have their opinion (the more the merrier, as the saying goes). Gosh, with your implication that all people are the same and one guy's opinion represents everybody else's, you are in danger of resembling one of those people-weak both in emotional intelligence and true intellectual ability-who clings to the type of formulaic solutions to formulaic problems he or she learnt at B school.

In response to ww's post-State of the economy: as it stands nowGood opportunity: a break into consultancy with one of the well- established firmsPre-MBA background: Slaes and Marketing with a blue-chip. No consulting experienceSo my question is how good a chance do I stand if I go for a good MBA next year?

The schools should be able to provide you with the % of MBA graduates that end up in quality consulting firms. However from a few lines in a discussion board you cannot expect any realistic estimate of your personal chances. Even with a full CV and an assessment centres it is not easy to pick out the best candidates.Also the economy may be completely different in two years time. When I did my own MBA there were employers knocking down the door to talk to us in the first year. Then when I graduated we were in recession and it took me a year to get a job at all let alone with a top consultancy.....though I work for a leading consultancy now. Life is a bit of a lottery in my opinion - though there are lots of ways (such as a good MBA) of narrowing the odds in your favour.